Historic Norwell House Tour benefits Jacobs Farm

Organizers are making preparations for the inaugural Historic Norwell House Tour, which will take participants through some of the town’s most notable historic properties.

By Scott MacKeen

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By Scott MacKeen

Posted Sep. 20, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 20, 2013 at 8:10 PM

By Scott MacKeen

Posted Sep. 20, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 20, 2013 at 8:10 PM

Norwell

» Social News

Organizers are making preparations for the inaugural Historic Norwell House Tour, which will take participants through some of the town’s most notable historic properties.

Sarah Jane Baker, member of the Norwell Farms board of directors, said her group has been working with the town’s Historical Commission to make the event possible.

“The Historical Commission wanted to create an event that would showcase some of the homes in town and tell the story of the houses and who lived in them,” she said. “The commission has worked with the home owners to research who built the homes, who lived there and what their connection to Norwell was. The commission has done a lot of work researching each house. That’s what we really wanted to share with the town.”

According to Baker, the partnership between Norwell Farms and the Historical Commission grew from a “shared passion” to preserve and restore the Jacobs Farm Homestead property at Norwell Farms near Jacobs Pond.

“It’s mutually beneficial for the two organizations to work together,” she said.

The farm came about following Town Meeting’s vote in 2009 to dedicate $50,000 from Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds to start it. In the fall of 2012, the town granted Norwell Farms a community farm on the roughly seven-acre Jacobs Farm parcel.

Baker said the Historic House Tour was arranged as a fundraiser to restore several features of the property: to bring in electricity and rehabilitate stonewalls and a well on the site.

“It’s constant work that we have to go after to maintain the farm,” she said, adding that Norwell Farms and the Historical Commission wanted to create an interactive fundraising event. “Instead of a Facebook event, we wanted this to be a face-to-face event. We’re getting some really good reception from people wanting to help out, which is really nice.”

There are eight locations on the house tour, which takes place Thursday, Oct. 3. The self-guided tour starts at the Cushing Center Artisan Shopping Boutique, 673 Main St., which will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and also includes Jacobs Farm. The homes themselves will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m..

Baker said the Artisan Shopping Boutique will have over 15 local artists and vendors, including food from Kate's Table and Sadie Mae's Cupcakes food truck.

She said the idea for the tour came about back in the spring and the organizers decided that the fall harvest season would be a perfect time for it.

Meanwhile, Norwell Farms is planning another inaugural event called Norwell Day, which is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 20 at the farm. Baker said this will be a free event designed to “welcome everyone in Norwell to celebrate the winding down of our season.”

Page 2 of 2 - More details on this event are still to be announced, but Baker said there will be live music, food trucks, lawn games, crafts, and vendors, among others.

For more information on Norwell Day, contact Kristen Jervey at kikliskristen@hotmail.com.

For any questions on the Historic House Tour, contact Baker at sarahjanebaker@yahoo.com.